User slams Indigo Airlines for Cute fee, company responds

An X (formerly Twitter) user shared a post showing breakdown of charges for an Indigo Airlines flight ticket. The post highlighted multiple fees charged by the airline, particularly questioning a ‘Cute charge’.
Shrayansh Singh @_shrayanshsingh said “Dear @IndiGo6E,
1. What is this ‘Cute Fee‘? Do you charge users for being cute? Or do you charge because you believe that your aeroplanes are cute?
2.What is this ‘User Development Fee‘? How do you develop me when I travel in your aeroplane?
3. What is this ‘Aviation Security Fee‘? Am I not paying taxes to the Government for ensuring my safety when I travel? Or has @MoCA_GoI outsourced aviation security to businesses?.”

The post was shared on August 19 and has garnered over 2 million views so far.

Indigo replies to the user’s post

Responding to the user’s X post, the official handle of Indigo said “Hi, we would like to inform you that the Cute charges refer to the Common User Terminal Equipment charge. It is basically the amount that is charged for the use of metal-detecting machines, escalators, and other equipments that are being used at the airport.”

Readers must note that this is not the first time that Indigo’s CUTE fee has made headlines. In 2022, another X user questioned the airline for charging Rs 100 as a cute fee.